On June 10, 2026, a regular meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers was held in Kazan (Russian Federation) under the chairmanship of the Russian side, with the participation of CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov. CIS Deputy Secretary General Denis Trefilov and SCO Deputy Secretary General Oleg Kopylov were also invited to attend the meeting.
On June 9, 2026, a delegation of the Secretariat of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, headed by CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov, took part in the 19th Meeting of Heads of Lead Counter-Terrorism Units of the Competent Authorities of the CIS Member States and Heads of National Structures Responsible for Coordinating Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Extremism Activities. The event was organized by the Anti-Terrorism Center of the CIS Member States.
A working meeting between CSTO Secretary General Talatbek Masadykov and Director of the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences Kirill Babaev was held at the Secretariat of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
From June 2 to 4, the Republic of Belarus hosted the second staff talks on the organization and conduct of the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces command-and-staff exercise “Indestructible Brotherhood 2026” and the special exercise “Barrier 2026” involving the CSTO Joint CBRN Protection and Medical Support Formation.
6th meeting of the CSTO Coordinating Council on Biological Security held in Saratov
02.06.2026
From June 1 to 3, Saratov (Russian Federation) is hosting a series of events involving the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization aimed at strengthening the collective response system to biological threats.
The central event of the first day was the 6th meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Authorized Bodies of the CSTO Member States on Biological Security, chaired by Head of Rospotrebnadzor and Chief State Sanitary Physician of the Russian Federation Anna Popova. The meeting was attended by representatives of relevant ministries and agencies of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as the CSTO Secretariat.
During the meeting, participants exchanged assessments of the biological situation in the CSTO area of responsibility and approved the Action Plan of the Coordinating Council for 2026–2028.
The members of the Coordinating Council agreed on a draft document establishing a CSTO Basic Organization for Research on Biological Security Issues. It is proposed that this status be granted to the Microbe Anti-Plague Research Institute of Rospotrebnadzor.
An important outcome of the meeting was the approval of a draft joint assessment of the biological security situation within the CSTO framework, which will help develop a comprehensive understanding of risks and determine future priorities for collective action. The participants also considered a proposal by the Russian side and the CSTO Secretariat regarding the development of a conceptual document on the advancement of the biological security system of the CSTO member states in the medium term.
The 7th meeting of the Coordinating Council is scheduled to take place in Saint Petersburg in December 2026.
On the same day, Anna Popova officially opened the First Conference with International Exercises of the CSTO Member States on Response to Biological Threats and delivered opening remarks. Welcoming addresses were also delivered by Governor of the Saratov Region Roman Busargin, CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov, and Director of the Microbe Institute Vladimir Kutyrev.
During the first plenary session, heads of the national delegations to the Coordinating Council presented reports on the biological security situation in their respective countries. CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov also addressed the participants, focusing on the CSTO’s activities at the present stage and emphasizing the need to further strengthen comprehensive cooperation among member states in the field of biological security.
The exercises, which began on June 2, involve more than 100 specialists from sanitary and epidemiological services and health ministries of the CSTO member states. The exercises will continue through June 3. In field conditions, the teams are practicing rapid logistics, information exchange, biological risk assessment, and risk management in response to a simulated outbreak of a particularly dangerous infectious disease.
The exercises are supported by multifunctional mobile laboratories operated by Rospotrebnadzor, including those of specialized anti-epidemic teams, mobile detection and monitoring laboratories, and portable mobile laboratory units. These facilities are capable of independently conducting up to 1,000 tests per day directly at outbreak sites. Today, the CSTO member states collectively possess more than 100 such mobile laboratories equipped with modern Russian-made equipment.
The events being held in Saratov clearly demonstrate the shared commitment of the CSTO member states to deepening cooperation and strengthening the collective biological security system.
